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Front Row: Kindergarten Learning Specialist Jennifer Tran, Pre-K Lead Teacher Claire Cagle, First Grade Lead Teacher Ali Avery, Learning Specialist Michelle Perry, Instructional Technology Specialist Karen Boykins, First–Fourth Grade Science Lab Teacher Lauren Kane, Early Elementary Division Music Teacher Phyllis Sommer
Award recipients demonstrate extraordinary commitment In August, the Academic Leadership Team celebrated excellence in service by presenting awards to 15 esteemed members of the faculty and staff. These awards, which provide unique professional development experiences or stipends to enhance salaries, were made possible by generous gifts to Trinity’s endowment over the years. This year, due to two new gifts to the endowment, the administration was able to present awards from six endowed funds to honor passionate employees who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to Trinity. The Rollins Quest for Excellence grants, which include a stipend to be used for personal and professional growth and renewal, were made possible by a very generous gift from the Gary W. Rollins
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Foundation to recognize dedication and loyalty to Trinity. This year, Fifth Grade Lead Teacher Thomas Benefield, Instructional Technology Specialist Karen Boykins, First Grade Lead Teacher Hilary Daigre, Early Education Math Specialist Becky Holden, Science Teacher Lauren Kane, Science Teacher Thalia Scott, and Learning Specialist Jennifer Tran were honored to receive this prestigious award. First Grade Lead Teacher Ali Avery, Pre-K Lead Teacher Claire Cagle, and Learning Specialist Michelle Perry received awards from The Childress Family Fund for Faculty Excellence. Established in 2013, The Childress Family Fund for Faculty Excellence supports faculty members in their professional growth and development. Awards presented each year give teachers the opportunity to pursue an innovative program to increase awareness, knowledge, and proficiency or insight that will be applied in the classroom and shared with Trinity colleagues. With funding from this award,
Ali and Claire look forward to learning how to intentionally incorporate more play into the curriculum at the “Learning to Play and Playing to Learn” conference through the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Michelle, who will also travel to the UK, will visit Millfield UK—one of the leading independent schools with expertise in dyslexia—to observe classroom instruction and bring back knowledge, tools, and resources to share with the Trinity Community. STEAM Integration Specialist Kate Burton and Music Teacher Phyllis Sommer were honored at the reception for receiving grants from the Teacher Opportunity Fund. Established in 1994, the Teacher Opportunity Fund is an endowment fund set up to honor excellence in teaching. The fund provides awards to faculty for exploration and curriculum enhancement. With her award, Phyllis will explore the intersection of science and music and its influence on brain development in young children at McMaster University in Canada as well as Northwestern